Second Chances
by C.O.Y.L
Summary: He knows why we want to live Life. He knows why we must Die. And it is for that very reason, that he is given back the will to live, and the thoughts of dying.
1. Chapter 1: The Start of Life

**Second Chances**

**Disclaimer: Atlus owns everything, 'cept for this story's plot -this does not include the back story-, and any oc's that may occur.**

**I really don't know what to say, but here I go. If you guys know me, you probably know how my other stories are going; I haven't updated them in a long while. I'll tell you why, simply because I lack inspiration, and I lack the plot. I mean, not the plot itself, but I have trouble getting from point A to B without making it too long. And if you don't know me, thank you for taking the time to read this author's note. I have one when I start writing the story/chapter and one after I start writing it. I'm gonna try to wipe the slate clean with this one. But know this, I lost inspiration simply because I don't see reviewers anymore, that just gives me a go signal that everyone just stopped reading. Maybe, but I still get hits, but the agony of trying to figure out if you guys liked it or not just sorta makes me anxious. Anyway, enough of this ranting, I'm gonna go ahead and let you start reading the story. But thanks for reading this, if you ever did.**

**XxX**

There is a brief moment when you awaken where you don't remember anything. You know nothing about what happened before, no memories to recollect, no happy thoughts, no sad memories, no outbursts of emotion. Just the thought of you waking up to a world, you don't know if you love or hate. And for the span of five seconds, you are as innocent as the time you were born. But, after those five seconds of innocence, your memories flood back. All the happy thoughts, the sad memories, and all the emotions you had when you went to sleep last night flood back into your mind. However way you awaken, this is always true. You do not register whether someone has awakened you, or if you woke up by yourself.

But, why wake? Why do people wake up? If some people wake up to memories of sadness, or anger, or any other negative emotion, why bother waking up? Even if you were happy the night before, why wake up to not remember what happened? Even if for a mere five seconds of nothing? When you wake, you feel nothing. So why bother waking up? All those happy thoughts, all those sad memories, all those emotions, all disappear when you wake up. What makes you get out of bed?

People would argue that it's to live. But if you awake with no emotion, then you aren't really living. Some would argue that it's to do whatever it is to do that is important. But for the briefest of moments, you have no memories. So the important thing you have to do is void, you don't remember it to be important. You do not have a reason to live, for the first five seconds of waking up. You simply awake to a dead world, you awake to nothing.

These thoughts of apathy were driving him crazy; he simply didn't know why he was thinking like this. He had gathered the thoughts when he woke up from the pounding that was echoing. The sound of metal being hit, the deafening clang it made, it echoed into space and into his ear. But that wasn't what woke him; it was the pain that followed. After each clang of metal, he felt immense pain. Each powerful sound of metal being hit reverberates into pain, it shook his very soul.

Like his thoughts before, when he first woke up, he didn't feel anything. Only that he was awake and he was seeing. And for the first five seconds of waking up, he felt nothing. He didn't know if he should feel happy, or sad, or any other emotion. He was just awake.

But after those five seconds of glorious nothing, came the crashing feeling of empathy. He remembered where he was, and he honestly didn't feel anything. After the first few times, he would have shouted out in anguish, after anguish, he grew insane. All the feelings of weakness and not being able to do anything caught up to him. But….

The feeling of insanity soon grew boring. Being insane was good for the briefest of moments, but he soon found that being in anguish was better then being insane. Insanity was far less comfortable then being in anguish. At least when he was in anguish, he could think. When he was insane, he knew nothing except to laugh like a madman for days.

After his insanity came apathy. He began thinking the reasons for his being here, and all the reasons as to just abandon this and let it happen. But he soon found thinking of these ideas was boring as well, and he soon found himself thinking of different topics altogether.

But he wasn't alone in his imprisonment, for he had the reason of his imprisonment right behind him, literally.

The very personification of death was behind him, it neither spoke nor thought, it neither drew breath nor did it move. It was simply there. And he didn't want it any other way. This was the only feeling he knew, that the being behind him stay there.

And the very essence of man's secret desire to die was in front of him. The two headed creature rammed its horns against him again, always trying to get to the being that was behind him.

After awhile, the horns of the creature dulled down. Or did he simply get used to the constant poking of the creature? Did he get so used to it that his mind simply ignored the pain? Like how the brain ignored the nose and how you can always see it? Did it think that the pain was common, and had adjusted to it?

The thought would have scared any living man. But he simply shrugged, there was no use thinking about it, seeing as how he was going to have to endure it for an eternity.

His thoughts soon drifted away from the being, his mind simply ignoring the sound of metal being crashed into, and the pain that followed. _'How long has it been?'_ his thoughts drifted back to his humanity. Those were the first humane thoughts he had thought of in a long while, and honestly, he wasn't surprised, seeing as how he had grown bored of his monologue about every single thing.

'_I wonder, is life treating them right? Are they living like I wanted them too?'_ His thoughts drifted to his friends, the people he had opened his heart to. And truthfully, it scared him. He didn't open his heart to anyone, after his parents died, he didn't grow attach to anyone, afraid that if he grew close to anyone, that he would only see them dead before his eyes. But these people, they managed to worm their way into his heart. And he doubted it had anything to do with the people in _that_ room. But, thanks to the people in _that_ room, he was able to meet the people he was closest with.

The priestess was one. She was always trying hard to cook for everyone, and almost always ended up making them take an early trip to the bathroom to flush out their systems. She meant well, but she needed to learn how to cook. Though, her cooking was horrible, her knowledge on computers and their systems baffled everyone. They wouldn't have guessed that the shy girl who always cooked, or at least tried to, was into computers.

'_That was part of her charm though. Her hidden knowledge and how she chose to accept it rather then push it away, she truly deserved to be called a priestess.'_ He thought, drifting away from the priestess. He soon found himself thinking about the magician.

He was always trying to make people smile, even at the expense of his own. Though, he hid a different side from prying eyes. He knew that he hated being at home, since there, all he was greeted to, was a drunken father. He kept strong though, through everything, he always found a reason to smile, even if it ruined other people's opinion of him. He had great potential to grow, and he accepted that fact. He embraced his faults, and used it to his likeness. He used his resources, even though he didn't have any idea how to use those resources.

He briefly wondered if he got his dream of playing baseball in the big leagues._ 'He's probably still making people laugh. I can't put that behind him.' _ He shrugged, thinking about the strength of, not a human, but a dog with the heart of one.

The white canine was always a mystery to him; he didn't know what drove the dog to go to those lengths to help the group. Though he knew one thing, the canine never discriminated in whom to approach. Quite frankly, the dog would approach anyone, and almost always befriend them. He would bark happily when meeting new people, and almost always played with everyone.

'_The strength of one who has lost everything. He embraced his loss, and embraced the new experiences happening around him with happy arms. He always looked forward, never looking back. Always protecting those he deemed as a friend.'_ He thought about the strength of the white haired beast. He then moved over to the star of the team.

The white haired boy was almost always training, never stopping. Kind of like a freight train, once momentum was gained, there was just no stopping him. He charged ever onward, leading those behind him to follow suit like he did. His blinding light never faded, and people never lost their way when they looked at him. And when he was the most vulnerable, when he lost his friend, when he was all alone. He used his anguish to burn brighter, he never backed down.

'_I always admired that part of him, he never knew when to back down, and when he did fall, he'd stand up ten feet higher.'_ He mused as his own thoughts. But these thoughts soon drifted to the lover.

True, she was very guarded. Never wanting anyone in her shell, always pushing people away, but once he found a way past that shell. She opened up like a gate. She never showed it, but she had always wanted someone to talk to her, even if she didn't talk about herself. Her thoughts and actions were never _just_ for herself, she had other motives. In every step she took, she tried to help those around her. She tried to help others, though she almost always was hurt herself.

'_You always were a moody one, though that changed after everything we went through together.'_ He thought bemused at remembering her reaction when he went looking for her after she made him wait a long time. He quickly shook these thoughts away, focusing on the magnificence of the empress.

Like the lover, she was guarded. Though, unlike the lover, she kept these secrets not to protect her own feelings, but to protect those around her. She kept those secrets to prevent anyone from hurting; even if that meant making those around her suspicious and weary about her. Her façade of ice soon melted when he started to want to grow closer to her. Soon, she shared all her thoughts and feelings to him, melting the wall of ice she kept to prevent anyone from sharing her burdens. He offered her solace in his words. He reassured her that she didn't need to shoulder the burden alone.

'_You always were more open with me. You trusted me, so I trusted you.'_ He thought solemnly.

The thoughts of his friends drifted into his heart, and he soon heard something that he thought wasn't possible anymore.

**Crash!**

**Thou art I, and I am thou. Though hast broken past time and space, thou hast forged a bond of never ending strength.**

**I am Orpheus, the father of songs.**

**I am Thanatos, the god of death.**

**I am Messiah, the redeemer of man.**

**Together, let us walk past the edge of space, and let us outlast time itself. With the bonds we have forged, the universe is ours to conquer.**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating personas of the universe arcana.**

Honestly, he was not expecting that to happen. He never knew that the bonds could strengthen when he just thought about it. As he thought of the universe arcana, he suddenly felt his connection with the gate loosen. But this did not scare him, no, it intrigued him.

'_Maybe someday I can…. Well, I can hope.'_ He thought as he refocused on the entity banging on the gate, and sighed again.

'_Just stop it already.'_ He thought. The being almost seemed to relent for a short while, as if to mock him, to mock him that it knows what he said, but then continued its banging just as fast as he relented. This piqued his interest, never has it done that before. He wondered if it could really read his thoughts.

But as his thoughts drifted away from the entity, and into the blackness of space. He saw a figure approaching the gate. He immediately thought of the platinum blonde elevator attendant, seeing as how she visited him a few times already. But that thought was soon brushed away as he saw that the figure was significantly taller then the elevator attendant, and that the figure had the build of a man. He also noted that the figure was wearing a white business suit, and a white fedora hat. From his place, he could also make out that the figure was wearing a mask, a mask of what? He could not say. But he knew that this man must hold some kind of power to be able to walk casually here of all places.

The entity seemed to acknowledge the man's presence, and began to….

'_It's shivering, is it scared?'_ He thought as he looked at the cowering figure of the two headed entity, why was it scared of the man? Was the man an even greater power? If so, could he possibly be able to withstand whatever was going to happen next?

His thoughts were answered as the entity seemed to move away from the gate, moving over to the side, seemingly trying to hide from the mysterious man. He now knew that this man was infinitely more powerful then the entity trying to gain entrance past the gate he was guarding.

He steeled himself as he saw the man moving his hand up and making a stop gesture at the gate keeper.

'_What the hell is he doing?'_ He thought as he looked upon the man, readying himself for an attack. Though he had the universe at his fingertips, he knew that the entity before was the collective consciousness of the people, and it was extremely strong. And to have that very being cower away from the man before him, he knew that he had to muster everything to try to prevent anything happening to the seal.

He looked down on the man, who seemed to visibly smile. The man then clenched his hand into a fist and pulled back his hand in one swift motion.

He then found that he was being pulled away from the seal, the force was almost unbearable.

'_No! I can't! I won't leave the seal!'_ Were his thoughts, but these was futile, and he soon found himself blacking out.

'_No…..'_ Were his last thoughts as he saw the white gentleman smile and tip his hat at the seal that was crumbling away.

**XxX**

The sound of smooth jazz being played on a piano echoed through his ears as he sat up with a groan. He was still dazed, but he tried to look around his new surroundings. He was sitting in, what looked like, a small bar. The bar was centered with two rather large, lounge chairs; the one on the right was white, while the other was black. He looked to the right of the bar, and he found that the grand piano he was hearing was right there. It was being played by a mysterious individual. The individual was wearing a deep blue tuxedo that had a fork at the bottom of his jacket. The man also had platinum blonde hair, bordering on white. The man didn't seem to acknowledge his presence and just continued to play on the piano.

He looked up, and found that he was staring at a mirror. The mirror was rather large; it stretched from one end of the bar to the other. And seeing as the bar could seat 25 more people, well, that was how big the mirror was. Though he didn't see the faintest sight of any alcohol, he didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

He soon shook his head, and stood up, regaining control of his senses. He then heard a door opening, but he didn't know why, there were no doors here. At least, none he saw.

He looked towards the sound, which was coming from behind the lounge chairs, and saw two doors materialize from nowhere. The two doors opened, and he saw the white gentleman from before, and another man, a man in a tuxedo, a man with a rather long nose…

"Igor?!" Was all he said as he looked at the long nosed man. Who smiled, the smile he knew oh so well.

"It is a pleasure to see you again Master Minato. It is good see you in good health. Tell me, how has the universe been treating you? I would say world, but you do not belong in that plane of existence anymore." Igor said cryptically. The white gentleman merely chuckled as he took a seat on the white lounge chair, and Igor took the other lounge velvet chair.

Minato carefully walked towards the front of the lounge chairs, and looked left and right at Igor and the gentleman. The gentleman smirked, as he stood up and offered a seat for Minato. Minato was about to ask what seat, but before the words escaped his lips, a sofa and coffee table materialized in front of him. He took a seat on the sofa, and eyed Igor and the man skeptically.

"You must be wondering why you're here. And why I abruptly pulled you away from the seal." The gentleman stated. Minato's eyes widened in shock and he stood up abruptly.

"The seal! I need to go back! Erebus might get into contact with Nyx!" Minato said in a panic as he looked behind him, hoping to see another door, but he was soon interrupted from his line of thought as the gentleman coughed. Minato looked at the man with a frown and tried his best to keep calm.

"Don't worry about the seal and Erebus. I have both of them taken care of. Now, I believe that I have business with you. If you would kindly take a seat and listen to my offer, I'm sure all those thoughts about pulling out Helel and trying to destroy me with a morning star will all go away." The man stated as he lowered his head, allowing for his hat to block away his eyes. Minato was fairly surprised by this, but kept his stoic face. Outside, he looked cool and collected, but inside, he was panicking, trying to figure out what to do.

'_He can rea-'_"-d my mind? Yes I can, and do not look so surprised; I have done other otherworldly things that you can only imagine. Just ask Igor here." The gentleman said, pointing at the long nosed gentleman next to him, whose smile didn't leave his face since the beginning of the conversation. Igor then looked at the white gentleman and coughed.

"Master, I believe we still have business with master Minato, and I still have to attend to other clients of the velvet room." Igor stated, the other gentleman smiled at this.

"My, my. Igor, are you talking about that Narukami? I thought he was finished with that little debacle with Izanagi, or was it Izanami? I cannot get those names right." The gentleman said as he looked onwards, towards a confused Minato. Igor merely smiled wider. Minato swore that if the strange man smiled even wider then this, he would split his face in two. Though he kept a straight face, he was anxious to find out what deal the strange gentleman had.

"That, and the fact that I still have to tend to Elizabeth coming back. Now that master Minato here is no longer in the seal, she'll come to me, hoping to find answers. And powerful I may be, I am still an old man, and I simply cannot incur Elizabeth's wrath without injury." Igor had explained, if this was a social call, Minato would have burst out laughing. But he managed a straight face, though the strange gentleman had no trouble keeping his humor to himself –seeing as the man had just laughed a hearty one-.

"Yes, of course. Excuse me for my outburst, but that would be one to see. Now on to business, Minato." The man voice changed from humorous, to serious, Minato straightened himself and looked the man in the eye.

"Yes?" He had to use all his willpower as to not stutter. He kept his poker face and just looked on, but a flash of light appeared over his head, he shielded his eyes from the bright flash, and then looked up to see a floating piece of paper.

"What the? This looks like the contract I signed with Pharos. I thought it was completed. I took responsibility of my actions and became the great seal; I thought the contract'd be void." Minato pondered over the contract, the man just smiled and motioned for the contract to come down on the coffee table.

"Well, normally yes. This contract not only bound you to your actions, it also made you unable to look away from reality. Remember the last few weeks you spent before your conscience finally left your body and reunited with your soul?" The gentleman asked. Minato immediately looked up at the man, an incredulous face adorning him.

"Wait, you mean to tell me, that all the only reason I retained my memories of Nyx coming down to earth, was because this contract didn't allow me to look away or to forget everything that was happening or had happened?" Minato asked, as he read through the piece of paper. Though it only had two lines on it, namely the words "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will." And the fact that his name was written right under those words.

"Exactly, you could not forget, because that would mean that you would never fulfill your contract." The gentleman said with a straight face, he looked down at the slouching form of Minato and saw that he was now sweating.

"S-so if I chose to kill Ryoji…." Minato trailed. The man hid his face under his hat.

"Exactly. You would have had to live the last days of your lives wondering if you chose the right path. You would have lived, remembering everything." This time, it was Igor that had explained. His smile fading.

Minato just sat there staring at the piece of paper. So if he had chosen to kill Ryoji, then he would have lived with the pain of watching his friends go about their own lives, without knowing that their days were numbered. He thought of all his friends, all the people he had spent time with. And then Nyx coming down from the heavens, sucking each and every one of their souls away. He shuddered at the thought. He was interrupted from those dark thoughts as the gentleman coughed.

"Well, it's a good thing that you picked to face Nyx. Now please no more unpleasant thoughts. Remember, I can read your mind, and right now, I am experiencing things that I shouldn't." The gentleman had said. Minato then visibly relaxed as he leaned back on the couch. Igor smiled, while the man just smirked.

"Now, allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Philemon. And I summo-" Before he could finish, Minato interrupted him.

"Wait, _Re-_introduce? What do you mean, I haven't met you before." Minato stated with a confused face. The man merely smiled.

"Oh I believe you have already seen me, in fact, we met on the train, the day you were coming to your dorm." Philemon had said, Minato looked at him with a confused face, before he finally took in the color of the butterfly mask.

"You were the strange voice I heard! Don't tell me you were the blue butterfly!" Minato pointed out, standing up and glaring down at Philemon. Who merely smiled.

"The one and only, Philemon at your service. Now please, sit down, we have much to discuss." Philemon said, Minato calmed down, and sat back down on the couch. Though he still eyed Philemon with caution.

"Now, this contract -" He then promptly picked up the contract. "- was supposed to be void the moment you became the great seal. But it seems that the universe has taken a liking to you. It seems as if your new found understanding of the universe has given you the power to rival gods." Philemon explained. Minato just sat there, nodding his head in understanding. This time, Igor spoke up.

"And powerful deities we may be, we cannot fight back a power equal to ours. So you see, we come offering a deal." Igor explained. Minato was shocked at learning that Igor and Philemon rivaled the power of gods. But he still managed to keep a straight face.

"For the longest time, we have been in a three way struggle with another powerful being. Who this being is, I will not say. As it is not your time yet to know. However, this single being has made it his mission to destroy the human world." Igor explained. Philemon watched on as Minato just sat there, trying to understand what he was saying.

"So you're saying. That this deity, one who is as strong as both of you, has made it his mission to end all life? Why? More importantly, was he the one that sent Nyx to earth? Was he behind the reason Mitsuru's grandfather had gone insane?" Minato asked, Igor merely turned to Philemon. Quietly asking him to take over.

"To answer your three questions. The first one, we do not know. Though I know that he thinks humans are a waste of space. And for your second question. No, Nyx is another being altogether. Nyx and Erebus are the collective consciousness of people. They represent the secret desire of people to die, and to end their suffering. Though, the being that wishes to destroy humanity is the collective evil of the people." Philemon said as he placed a hand under his chin, in a thinking position. Minato just sat there, shocked to have heard that, though this raised another question altogether.

"So, if this being is the collective evil of mankind. Then you are…." Minato trailed, Philemon merely smirked.

"A sharp one, its no wonder girls are all over you. You are smart enough to figure that out. You're charming enough to make me smile, and you are brave enough to listen to me without reason. I applaud you. Yes, I am the collective good of all mankind. And now to answer your third question, no. He just went insane by himself; he had brushed too close to the shadow area of the universe. He caught a glimpse of Nyx, and had worshipped her like it was a god." Philemon answered. Minato was about to ask another question, but was cut off.

"And yes, there are other dimensions in the universe. There are some dimensions that tilt towards the light, while other dimensions tilt towards the dark. Right now, we are in my dimension, this place may look like the velvet room, but make no mistake. This dimension is so far back into the realm of light, any and all dark beings are merely myths, meaning, that they simply cannot exist in this dimension. The velvet room was made by yours truly, but I sent it into the gray area, leaning closer to the light." Philemon explained. Minato nodded in understanding.

"So basically, if the dimensions were put on a map, this dimension would be on the farthest left, where only light exists. And the velvet room is closer to the middle, but is leaning more into the light. So I'm assuming that this being, exists in the farthest right, into the realm of darkness, where no light exists. Though that raises another question. What about Nyx and Erebus? And how do I fit in all of this?" Minato asked plainly, looking up at Philemon and Igor. Who were both smiling?

"Master Minato, Nyx and Erebus live in the shadow dimension, like the velvet room, except the polar opposite. So it is closer to the gray area, but at the same time, it is leaning more to the dark area. And as for you fitting in here, why, I thought you already knew. In your soul, is the power of the Universe." Igor said, smiling wider. Minato nodded his head again, and waited for them to continue.

"Minato, right now, you are the only being that can strike a match to balance our worlds. And when I mean balance, I mean BALANCE. Never leaning towards one side, and never leaning towards the other. You are the Quintessential Gray, The Being of Balance. You understand why life needs to be lived; you understand why you need to die. You understand why people WANT to live, but at the same time WANT to die." Philemon explained to Minato, who was quietly taking this all in. He would have immediately dismissed this as joke, that he was never meant to be strong, that he needed to seal away Nyx, and that he couldn't kill her. But at the same time, he knew what they were saying was true, he knew why people want to live their lives, and why they want to die. Whether this be a rich man that has everything, and just wants to die before everything is gone. Or it be a poor man with nothing, and wants to live so he can have the chance for everything. But his question was still unanswered, so he opened his mouth, but was again interrupted.

"As for Nyx and Erebus, they exist parallel to you. They are neither good, nor are they evil. They are just there to strike a balance, they exists so people will remain what they are, people. For without death, people will not understand life." Philemon explained further. Minato pondered on this for awhile, and could not resist what came out of his mouth next.

"What about life?" Minato bluntly asked. If it was possible, Igor's smile bordered on insanity now, and Philemon's smirk was widening as well.

"No worries, you will meet her soon enough." Igor stated, cryptically as ever. Minato felt himself get annoyed at this point, but before he could rebuke Igor for his cryptic behavior. The sound of a phone ringing silenced him. He looked around for the source of the sound, but to no avail. It was only when he turned back to Philemon and Igor did he notice that the ringing was from Igor's strangely designed phone.

"Ah! Pardon me, it would appear that Elizabeth has found out I'm missing. If you'll excuse me, I have a pressing matter to attend to. But before I go, Minato." Igor's voice was deadly serious, Minato couldn't help but notice how he dropped 'Master' from his name. He turned to Igor, making eye contact as his smile faded.

"Your contract may not have expired yet. But if you so choose the decision to remain as the seal, your contract will expire, and you may never get a chance to save yourself again. Nonetheless, I will respect your decision and support you. But please, take this key." Igor waved his hand in front of his face, and a key started forming. The key, unlike the previous velvet key Minato had, was gray in color. It seemed to radiate a dying light that shone as bright as the sun, but didn't blind you. The key floated towards Minato, who held out his hand and grabbed it. Carefully examining it. He noticed it had no edges, it was simply a blank key.

"This key, will take you to another part of the Velvet room, when you are ready to see what lies in that room. The key will respond accordingly. And don't worry, if you choose to remain a seal, the key will disappear. Think of it as a bribe of sorts, to, entice you. Now, I must go, Master Minato, Master Philemon. I bid you good day. Theodore will keep you company." Igor stated as he waved his arms over to the pianist, who turned around and bowed, before turning back to his piano.

"Farewell Igor, do tell me what happens with that Narukami boy the next time you visit, he is quintessential as well." Philemon bid Igor goodbye. Minato just casually shrugged and waved his hand. Igor turned around and placed his hands behind his back, a bright light emerged and the familiar velvet door appeared. The door opened automatically, as if knowing that its master has returned. Igor stepped through the door, and the door shut. Disappearing as it did.

It was at this point, Minato remembered what he was going to ask Igor in the first place. He turned to Philemon and before he could voice his question, he was already answering.

"Life is someone you will meet when you restart. She'll be watching you, and so will Nyx. But know this. They are neither beings of benevolence or malevolence. They are only there merely to observe." Philemon said. At this point, Minato couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his hands on the coffee table, effectively cracking it. And demanded.

"What the hell are you going on about?! Restart?! Nyx and Life will be watching me?! And what about the deal you wanted to tell me? You haven't even told me that!" Minato seethed. He didn't know why they had to be so cryptic. Just get strai-

"-ght to the point. Fine. Minato Arisato, we come offering you a chance at life again. To restart in the beginning. To turn back time, to erase the seal, to erase Death's time on the world." Philemon said bluntly. Minato sat back down on the sofa, almost slumping down as he heard that.

"Wha-what do you mean?" Minato stuttered, his mask of calmness finally cracking. Philemon tipped his hat to cover his eyes.

"It is exactly that. You will go back, and you will balance the world. Nyx was never supposed to be summoned in the first place. The thirteen shadow arcana was never meant to exist. But through the machinations of one being; he was able to doom humankind. Through his will, he made the world's leading scientists want to _**die**_, through his will, he gave Nyx a reason to come down and make people WANT to _**die.**_ It is because of him, that the human race, lost so much, lost their strength to live, lost their will to move on. It is because of him, that you are shouldering the world." Philemon explained. Minato sat there shell shocked at what he just heard.

'_Everything happened, because of one guy? The Arcana shadows, Nyx coming down, my parents deaths, my seal….'_ Minato thought. He thought that he was doing everything of his own will. But it turns out, that one person; one person orchestrated this whole thing. He wanted Nyx to descend; he wanted the world to die. He wanted Minato to beco-

"No. You being the great seal were never part of his plan. He didn't think I could intervene. He didn't take into account a wild card." Philemon explained. Minato slowly looked up, eyeing Philemon wearily.

"But you gave me this power! I never asked to a wild card! I never asked to have personae!" Minato shouted at Philemon. Philemon met his furious gaze and answered.

"So you would have rather never met your friends?" Was his stoic reply. Minato froze at that, after a few seconds, he sighed and slumped down on the couch. Resigning that what he said made absolute sense.

"What do you want. Tell me now." Minato demanded. Philemon smirked at his assertiveness.

"We just want you to become the balance of the world. Balance of the human race rather. For without the human race, I cannot exist, and so can't he who did all this." Philemon explained. At this, Minato sighed.

"So wait, you're telling me, HE, wants to die as well?" Minato asked. Philemon chuckled at this.

"Yes and no. He wants to destroy the human race, but he doesn't want them to live." Philemon responded. Minato slumped even more in his chair.

"Ok. What you're saying makes absolute no sense, but at the same time. It makes sense. Let me get this straight. The collective consciousness of mankind's evil wants to destroy the human race, but he doesn't want to die. But in destroying the human race, he dies as well. Tell me one thing; does he know what he's doing?" Minato asked with a critical eye.

"Of course. He knows that the human race dying would mean that he would die. But, at the same time, the human race dying would fulfill his essence. His very being is to hate the human race; it overwrites the need to stay alive to see his plans unfold. The same can be said for me. I neither hate nor love the human race. But, I want them to have a prosperous future. I want them to have the best. If that means I would disappear. I would gladly do it." Philemon explained. Minato sat up straighter at this. He sighed as he finally managed to make sense of it all.

"Great, I have to fight against a zealot. But hang on. How would you send me back? That's imposs-"

"-ble? My dear boy. Remember, you hold the Universe. Nothing is outside the realm of possibility for you. Though, you haven't unlocked its full potential yet. I'm positive you'll see to it in due time. Now, I must ask the question. Do you accept?" Philemon asked making eye contact. Minato didn't flinch, didn't look away, he only smirked and nodded his head.

"I'll do it." Minato said with finality. Philemon smiled and stood up. Minato mirrored his actions. Philemon stretched his hand out, Minato did the same. They shook hands, finalizing the deal.

"Well then, I hope your days as the Grey will be worth it for you. For it has already been worth it for me. Now, my time will soon be scarce, but I implore you to visit Igor. He will tell you the nature of your wild card prowess. You haven't unlocked latent potential of it. As powerful as the Universe is, it cannot overwrite the powers of a wild card. And please, take young Theodore with you. I believe he needs to see his sisters soon." Philemon said as he turned around and started walking away. At the same time, the smooth music from the piano stopped. Minato turned to the piano and looked at Theodore. Theodore stopped in front of Minato and bowed.

"Master Minato. It is an honor to finally make your acquaintance." Theodore said while bowing. Minato mirrored his actions.

"The honors all mine. Now, how do we get to the Velvet room?" Minato asked Theodore. Theodore only smiled and waved his hand. The velvet door appeared, like it did to Igor previously. Theodore took a step forward and grabbed the knob and twisted. He pushed and entered the door fully. Minato took a deep breath, before following him in.

**XxX**

**And cut. This chapter actually had two versions. The one you read right now, and another where Minato would suddenly appear during a party. Obviously, I chose this one. And also. This chapter is just a try. I was originally gonna make it longer, including the velvet room interactions, but, oh well. Anyway. For those that read my other story, 'Rise before dusk'. Don't worry. This was just finished before the other one. **

**And, a lot of plot and story is gonna happen. Mostly from my mind. Different Arcana, and, I won't spoil it, but you can say Minato can have different versions of the same thing.**

**Who is Life? What will happen to Minato? What is the Universe? All this questions will be answered. Anyway, R.R, read and review. C.O.Y.L OUT peace!**


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting the World

**Second Chances**

**Disclaimer: Me no ownie anythingy.**

**Originally, this was supposed to be part of the first chapter, but then, I said to myself. "It'd be too long if I added this part." So I cut it into two. So, if you're looking for someone to blame for the short chapter. Blame Obama! Joking aside, I don't know where this Chapter will end. So just enjoy the ride.**

**XxX**

The first thing he noticed when he stepped into the Velvet room was that it had changed from the Elevator motif it had before. Now, it looked like a jazz restaurant. It had tables, chairs, and a smooth tone permeated the area, but where it was emanating from, he could not say.

The second thing he noticed was that he was staring into something yellow, something that seemed to move up and down, as if examining him. He then saw the white part, and immediately knew what it was; he leaned backwards a bit, and found that he was being stared down by a woman that was slightly taller then him. If it wasn't for the way this woman was dressed, he would have confused her for Elizabeth. But certain key differences stood out. For one, this woman had curly platinum blonde hair. She was noticeably taller the Elizabeth, and the fact that this woman had a more mature face was a clear sign that she was not Elizabeth. The woman dress was like Elizabeth's, but the woman wore black leggings, giving her a more mature feel, she was also wearing velvet high heels.

As Minato's eyes focused on the woman, he heard a faint gasp from behind the woman. He tilted his head to the right a bit and found the only other being beside Igor that he knew came from the Velvet room.

"Minato, it IS you!" Elizabeth squealed as she ran up to him and hugged him tightly. Minato only lightly chuckled as he placed a hand on Elizabeth's head.

"Yeah, I can't believe it either. But here I am, in the flesh. I'm sorry for making you worry." Minato said as he smiled at Elizabeth, who was looking up to his face. She shook her head.

"No, no, that won't do. I did that on purpose to save you. You needn't say you're sorry. In fact, it should I who should say sorry. I didn't trust your powers at all. I didn't trust in your power as the Balance to get you out of there." Elizabeth argued back. Minato only sighed and ruffled Elizabeth's hair, making her pout childishly.

"Whatever you say Elizabeth. Now, I think I have business with your master. Where's Igor?" Minato asked as Elizabeth let go of Minato. Elizabeth straightened her dress as she took a step back and ushered Minato in. The Velvet door closing behind him. As he was walked past Elizabeth and the strange woman that was eyeing him. He noticed someone was missing as well, and it wasn't Igor.

"Where's Theodore?" Minato asked. Elizabeth smiled slightly, but it was the woman who answered.

"Young Theodore is currently attending a pressing matter. So I'm afraid he won't be joining this meeting." The woman answered as she walked past Minato who had stopped to listen to her. Minato looked at Elizabeth with a questioning look. Elizabeth only smiled and started walking as well. Minato promptly caught up to both women.

"Thank you Miss…." Minato drew out his question, hoping for her answer. The woman didn't look back, nor did she try to sound like she cared.

"Margaret." Was her short reply. Minato nodded silently, though Margaret didn't see this. Minato could swear that she heard Elizabeth giggling.

After a few minutes of silent walking. They all stopped in front of a wooden door with the word "Manager" written on it. Minato took an intelligent guess and worked out this was where Igor was. The door opened automatically, beckoning them in. Margaret and Elizabeth both entered first, Minato was the last to enter.

Inside the room, there was no decorations, just a desk, a light above it, some chairs in front of the desk, and some dark paintings behind the desk hanging on the dark white wall. Behind the desk however, Minato instantly recognized who it was.

"Ah. It is good to finally see you in here. Tell me, do you like the renovation?" Igor asked as Minato entered fully and took a seat on one of the chairs in front of the desk. Margaret and Elizabeth moved behind the desk to stand by Igor's sides. The door they entered in closing as Minato sat down.

"Kinda big for you. Or do you have a lot more guests then before?" Minato asked curiously. Igor only chuckled at this.

"Exactly, too many people come and go here now. So I figured a change of scenery was in order. To make them keep coming back." Igor explained with a smile. Minato only shrugged.

"Well, if you're here. I take it you accepted the offer?" Igor asked with a straight face. Minato only nodded. Igor's smiled returned.

"Excellent, and I take it that my master sent you here so you may learn more about the wild card?" Igor asked again. Minato nodded to him for the second time.

"Well, before I start explaining, I will ask you one thing. How many Arcanas are there in the tarot deck?" Igor asked Minato. Minato thought for a moment at this. Before he answered.

"21 from my previous research into the Arcanas. Is this relevant?" Minato asked Igor. Igor merely shook his head as he asked this.

"My dear boy, are you really a genius? You haven't deduced that you currently have 22 Arcana unlocked in the sea of your soul?" Igor asked Minato. Minato bristled at his hidden insult, but before he could get angry. He remembered two Arcanas he had that weren't part of the Tarot deck.

"You mean Aeon and the Universe?" Minato asked. Igor smiled again.

"Exactly. Though, the Universe is part of the Thoth deck. The Aeon meanwhile, does not exist in any deck. The deck you are currently in possession of is my own custom deck for you." Igor explained. Minato tilted his head in confusion at this. Seeing Minato's obvious confusion, Igor snapped his fingers, and a deck of cards appeared on the desk. Igor cut the deck into 22 different decks. He flipped over the first deck, showing the fool. The fools design wasn't that of known tarot interpretations, instead, the card depicted all the S.E.E.S members.

"What is-?" Minato began; but Igor simply continued to flip the next card, which was the Magician. This one depicted the picture of Kenji Tomochika, his male classmate. The next, the Priestess; depicted a picture of Fuuka Yamagishi. After the Priestess, was the Empress; which depicted Mitsuru Kirijo. This list continued on until he reached the Aeon and the Universe. In the Aeon, it depicted Aigis, while in the Universe, it simply depicted; nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was simply blank.

"You see my dear guest. Though you have the power of the wild card. It was still us who gave you that power, and thus, we control what powers you obtain. But with all our power, we cannot control everything. That is why this – he pointed towards the Aeon – and this – he pointed to the Universe – appeared into being. We cannot make you choose who you form a bond with, so we cannot control what happens. Though it is us who give you the deck. Sometimes, the deck doesn't know which Arcana something or someone is compatible to. So it merely creates a new one, to compensate for the incompatibility of a person." Igor explained. Minato nodded his head, understanding his position.

"So basically, you gave me a deck, and I'm just playing it out?" Minato asked. Igor smiled.

"Not exactly. You do not play out the deck, instead, the deck plays with you. It evolves as you mature, as you forge new bonds. Now, what you do not understand: is that you can have more bonds of the same Arcana." Igor stated. Minato eyed him curiously.

"Wait, you mean I can form more bonds of the same Arcana?" Minato asked. Igor nodded his head.

"Precisely. Suppose, you find someone, a person who acts mature on the outside, always listening to others problems and giving out advice. Giving sage words, telling everyone that he or she knows what the World has to give, and will gladly take it for he loves it. Would you say he or she is destined to be a hierophant?" Igor asked. Minato thought for a second.

"Well, yes. There's no reason for he or she to not be part of the Hierophant Arcana." Minato stated, nodding his head. He heard giggling coming from Elizabeth, while Margaret simply shook her head. Igor smile seemed to disappear for a second, before it returned.

"I suppose. But what if this person was acting like that only to get closer to people. Deceiving them, making them trust them. Now, what Arcana would he or she belong in now?" Igor asked. Minato answered in a second.

"Devil. They belong in the Devil Arcana." Minato answered. Elizabeth's giggling intensified, while Margaret sighed loudly. Igor's smile turned into a frown at his answer.

"I suppose he or she can turn into the Devil Arcana. But you seem to forget. Reverse cards are still part of the deck. They don't just appear when a relationship goes awry. No, usually, they are drawn when you take a card. This also applies to new bonds. In this situation, he/she is still part of the Hierophant, except. This time, they're reversed." Igor explained. Minato nodded his head nervously. How he seemed to understand this seemed to escape him. But everything Igor said seemed to make sense.

"But what happens when a reversed link goes awry? Will it remain reversed, or will it reverse, becoming upright?" Minato asked. Igor's smile returned.

"No my dear guest. It stays the same. It will never go awry. Reversed Arcana that you forged will never go awry, simply because all the opposite party does is act that way to get close to you. Likewise, reversed Arcana will stand upright when you maximize your bond with them. Supposing you've played your cards right and they expose their true selves to you." Igor explained. Minato turned to look at Elizabeth, quietly asking if all he said was true. Elizabeth only smiled and nodded. Minato's focus returned to Igor.

"So, you're telling me, that the next set of links that I make, will be reversed?" Minato asked curiosity brimming. Igor only sighed and shook his head.

"No. I apologize if it came out that way. No, in fact, that is the beauty of a Wild card's deck. For you see, a wild cards deck has anything in it. Absolutely anything. From the Art Arcana, all the way to Death. Though, in your case. You were given the best deck so far, for you were given Death, The Wild Card, and the Universe. Except, I never did give you the Universe. So in a sense, you cheated. But I digress. Let us continue forward. Now, I believe that time is running scarce on my part. But I believe that we are still waiting for two other guests to arrive. What is taking young Theodore so long? Elizabeth, would you be a dear and check on him?" Igor asked Elizabeth, who merely nodded and stepped out of the room, not without looking at Minato however. As Elizabeth stepped out. Igor snapped his fingers again, and a new deck appeared on the table as the old deck vanished.

"Now Master Minato, would you like your fortune told?" Igor asked as he began shuffling his deck. Minato's eyebrow twitched.

'_This guy… seriously! He's so weird!'_ Minato thought as Igor placed the deck on the desk. He then spread the deck over the desk.

"Now. I will do a new kind of scrying. Pick a card from the deck if you will master Minato. Just one will do." Igor asked, Minato complied.

'_Won't hurt if I play along.' _Minato thought as he drew a card from the deck. To his surprise, it wasn't part of any Tarot deck at all. It depicted a white screen, and right under it, it had the number XXX. The name was Life.

"Now, do not let me see it, but put the card back into the deck upside down if you will. Right where you drew it and make sure it's face down." Igor instructed. Minato did as told, he put the card back into the deck, and Igor took the deck and re-shuffled it. Igor laid the deck again onto the desk.

"Now please, draw another one." Igor asked Minato, who shrugged and drew another one. This one he knew, it was the Empress.

"Now, put it back." Igor asked again. Which Minato did again. Igor repeated the deck shuffling, and asked Minato to draw another card.

"Now this will be the last one, but please, try to concentrate." Igor said. Minato raised an eyebrow at those instructions. But did as told. He closed his eyes and his hands hovered towards a card that seemed to draw him. He took the card, and looked at it.

"Huh, what do you know?" It was the Universe, it had nothing on it, and it was only blank, the background showing where the typical picture would have shown if it had one. It did not have a number.

"Now, do not place that card back into the deck." Igor instructed as he flipped the deck over, showing a deck full on Arcana, except for two that were flipped over, it was upside down for Igor, but right side up for Minato.

"Oh my, now this is interesting. Life, Empress, and the Universe. These three Arcana will play a big role into your next life. Please remember them. Unfortunately, I cannot reveal anymore then that." Igor said as he snapped his fingers and the cards vanished. Minato sighed. This was getting tiresome for him.

"You know, it would probably help this go faster if you told me who we're waiting for. So as to not shock me when they _do _arrive." Minato said, impatience showing. Igor only chuckled while Margaret bristled at his callousness.

"Need I remind you that you are a guest here? You will address us with respect, we are in control here, not you! If my master deems it that you do not know about certain things, you are unworthy of such knowledge. It would be better if you just sit there quietly and wait!" Margaret all but shouted at Minato's face. Minato only raised an eyebrow; he looked at Igor with his questioning look, at which Igor only smiled.

"My apologies Master Minato. Margaret was out of line." Igor said, Margaret doubling over at what her master just said.

"M-master? Wh-Why are you apologizing to this, this, incompetent buff-"

"Enough Margaret. I suggest you apologize to our dear guest. You do not want to provoke his ire. The last time somebody had done that, the being was sealed from human kind. He holds far more power then you or I do. Though it is still a new power. It's a strong one nonetheless." Igor explained, not once removing his eyes from Minato's figure. Margaret's fist tightened, but she sighed after a moment. She then turned to Minato, who looked at her curiously.

"I apologize for my outburst. Please accept my sincerest apologies." Margaret said almost autonomously. It had sounded like she had practiced that very sentence in front of a mirror. It was a blank statement, it had no substance whatsoever.

Minato only sighed at Margaret's cold apology. "No need to apologize. I don't know what I possibly did to be on your hit list of all people. Seeing as I've only met you. Nonetheless, don't apologize. I know what it's like to have a grudge. But if I may be so bold as to give you advice. Grudges are there only for hate. And hate is only there to blind you to your future. The more you hate, the less of a bright future you have. Always looking at people as if they were enemies, always trying to find a way to push them away. I know some people like this, and I know, that they always have something that they love. So, as part of my advice. Hold on to whatever you love. Whether this be a love of games, a love of your job, or a love for someone in particular. Just hold on to it." Minato told Margaret, who only snorted at his advice. She mumbled something inaudible under her breath, but Minato could read her lips rather easily. 'What would you know?'

"I know. Because that is exactly what kept me going." Was Minato's reply. Before Margaret could question him for that statement, the door opened. Revealing Elizabeth, Theodore, and a white haired boy. The boy seemed to shrink into the background, but Minato saw that he was quietly looking around, quietly taking in the surroundings.

"Ahh. Master Narukami. Pleasure to see you here so soon. What brings you here at this hour?" Igor asked with a smile adorned on his face. The boy – Narukami's – eyebrows raised at that question.

"Excuse me? Igor, I believe it was you who called me to meet you in here. You do realize how awkward it was for me when Theodore over there suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me away from class. I swear, I can still here Yosuke shouting that I'm gay." Narukami said, exasperation evident in his voice. Minato stifled a chuckle at the boy's face.

"Oh did I? Pardon me then Master Narukami, I believe old age seems to be catching up to me. By the way, have you met one of your predecessors? This is Minato Arisato." Igor said, waving his hand towards the still sitting Minato. Minato was eyeing the new boy, he was studying his movements. And what he found was surprising. He was on alert the whole time, like he was waiting for something to pop out of nowhere and attack them. Minato decided that a little fun would be in order.

Yu turned and looked at Minato; he saw that he had an apathetic look in his eyes. As if he didn't want to be there, but didn't want to leave either. He looked at Margaret, who had a scowl on her face as she looked at Minato. He shrugged his shoulders, and then approached Minato.

"Yu Narukami, pleasure to meet you Arisato-san." He said as he bowed, Minato did the same, albeit his head was sticking out more.

"The pleasure's mine Narukami-san. But please, none of this formality, I hate it, and I would think you too. Now why don't you relax, there's nothing here that'll attack you." Minato said with a charming smile. Minato sound himself smiling as well, he felt at ease with this guy. Like he knew what will, and can happen at any given time. It gave him a sense of prote- NO!

Yu suddenly switched Personas to Izanagi-no-Okami. He readied himself as he crushed the card in his hands. The white god standing tall behind him. He put on his glasses, and pulled out a short sword he carried behind his back in case of emergencies. He watched as the boy – Minato – stand there unmoving as he looked at the persona. Theodore, Margaret, and the other woman, just stood there watching the events unfold. Igor was still smiling though, so it seems that he wants to see what happens.

Minato eyed the persona, and after a few seconds of scrutinizing, he knew it was of the World arcana. He nodded his head as he reached into his soul for the persona he wanted.

"Come fourth, Orpheus!" Minato shouted as he placed a hand on his face, covering most of it, save for one single glowing silver eye. He exploded with blue shards as Orpheus appeared behind him. Silver lyre and body. It's arms crossed as it faced down the Persona of the World. The power eminating from both parties seemed to shake the very air itself. After a few seconds of scrutinizing, Minato took off first.

He threw his open hand forward, signaling for Orpheus to attack, it did. The musician strummed it's lyre as the ground where Yu was standing seemed to grow hotter by the second. He jumped out of the way, saving himself from incineration as the ground he stood on melted from the heat.

'_What the? That wasn't an Agidyne! It __**melted**__ the ground, and it heated the air around me!'_ Yu thought as he regained his footing and charged at Minato. He charged with a battle cry. Minato readied himself. At the last second however, Yu shouted.

"Ziodyne!" He shouted with Vigor. Izanagi complied, it pushed its spear forward, lightning shot out from the tip towards Minato who stared at it wide eyed at how fast it was going. He raised his hand to guard, for he knew he couldn't dodge it. Yu smirked as it hit home.

The lightning bolt exploded and formed a dust cloud. Yu jumped back as he eyed the damage he had done.

He whistled as he looked at the floor behind the cloud, it was split in two. And it led so far into the darkness, he didn't know if there was a wall in this room, but if there were, it would have been split in two thanks to what he did.

Before he could access the damage more, he jumped out of the way. Instinct telling him he would die if he stood there for any longer. He suddenly felt the whole room reach sub-zero temperatures. He looked at the ground he was on, and found that it had somehow shattered. Leaving nothing but floating ice particles in the air. He peered down the hole it made, and found that it too was bottomless. The floor he was standing on was now in pieces. Thousands and thousands of ice pieces. It didn't leave a fissure; it left nothing in its wake. Yu grew nervous at the damage. It was something to damage the floor of the velvet room, but it was something else entirely destroying it. It was at this thought and time, that he heard footsteps approaching him.

"Well, I admit, you are strong. It makes me feel satisfied that the World is in capable hands. But you are out of your league here Narukami-san. For no matter how hard the World tries. It cannot possibly understand the Universe." Minato's voice sounded as he appeared from the dust cloud, unscathed. But, behind him wasn't the Orpheus from before. No, it was different, the coloring was off. It was now red and gold. Its lyre, which was previously silver, was now a gold color. And the hair had a bright shine to it. Yu clicked his teeth in frustration. He was tough, he knew that now. So it'd be better to go all out. He slowly stood up; he crushed his card again, prompting Izanagi to appear. He then pointed at Minato.

"Myriad Truths!" He shouted as Izanagi sprang into action. The spear was thrown towards Minato, who didn't have time to react. He only watched as it approached him and then it exploded into a bright light in front of his face. The light engulfed the entire room, and everyone shielded their eyes from the brightness.

After a few minutes, the light started dying down. And to Yu's surprise. Minato was still standing, unscathed and smiling at him.

"Well done. I applaud your resolve. Now it is my turn. Messiah!" He shouted as Orpheus dissolved into fragments, only to be replaced by another Persona, a pure white Persona with coffins behind it that seemed to form a small cross. Minato then pointed upwards.

"Messiah, revala-" Before he could finish that command. He was suddenly restrained by chains, his legs were binded, and so were his hands. Minato looked behind him, seeing that the chains seemed to have come from Theodore and Elizabeth. Margaret was holding her compendium, it was wide open and she seemed to be pulling out a card carefully. All three of them eyeing Minato carefully. Waiting to see if he'll do anything to brake out of the chains. It was then, Igor's voice was heard.

"Now, now. No need for that Master Minato. Young Narukami cannot possibly comprehend what you'll be doing. And like it or not, he is still my client. And with that contract, all my clients are protected from harm by otherworldly forces. _Including_ you." Igor stated. Minato eyed him carefully, before he relaxed his body. The chains disintegrating as he approached the skeptical Yu.

"I apologize. It would seem I was a bit carried away, I ask for your forgiveness." Minato said with a slight bow, his voice sincere. Yu eyed him warily. He didn't answer as he walked past Minato and sat down on the chair in front of the desk. Minato only sighed as he began walking towards the desk again. Igor, Elizabeth, Theodore, and Margaret in their previous positions before the fight.

"And I must apologize to my host. I didn't mean to take it that far. It was only a test, if he was all he was cracked up to be." Minato stated, Igor only smiled and waved his hand dismissively.

"No matter my dear guest. Truth be told, I too was curious. But it would seem his power is still unlike yours. You, Master Minato, are like I said a special case." Igor stated as he waved his hand. A new lounge chair appeared behind Minato, who promptly sat down on it. Igor put his hands under his chin, and eyed both his guests.

"Now, Master Yu, I must tell you now. No matter who asks, no matter what happens, I must ask you not to tell anyone what I tell you. Be them friend, foe, family, or even _god_." Igor stated, emphasizing the last part. Yu, who looked at him with jaw slightly ajar from the shock, nodded slowly. Igor smiled.

"Well, thank you. Now. I believe I must ask a question, what do you think the other's Arcana are supposed to be?" Igor asked both his guests. Yu looked over towards Minato, while Minato answered immediately.

"He has the World." Minato said, without missing a beat. Yu looked at him, trying his hardest not to look surprised. Minato then turned to Yu, and waited for his answer.

"…World." Yu answered after a few seconds of contemplation. He then saw Minato only shake his head, while Igor and the others, save Margaret – who was scowling lightly – giggled.

"Close Narukami-san. But not quite, I don't blame you though; it would be beyond my comprehension as well if I were in your shoes." Minato said with a blank face. Yu looked at him with confusion. It was Elizabeth who answered his un-spoken question.

"He has the Universe." She said with a slight smile as she looked at Yu. Who nodded absentmindedly at that information.

"And as you well know, the Universe is infinitely times more bigger then the World. So, if you happen to be wary of Master Minato here, well, it's only '_Natural._'" Theodore explained and chuckled at the last word. Everyone turned to him and looked at him as if he were losing his mind. He merely waved his hand in front of him.

"Sorry, inside joke. Please, carry on." He said. Margaret then turned towards Yu.

"But don't worry. If he ever happens to think of hurting you, _I_ will personally bring him down." Margaret explained as she glared at Minato, who smiled as she glared. Yu looked at the interaction between them, and suddenly shuddered at that intel. He barely survived his fight with Margaret. And she wasn't even serious to begin with. So, seeing her with such a hateful glare, he knew she would explode sooner, rather then later.

Igor cleared his throat as he got everyone's attention. His smile faded as he looked at Yu, who shuddered again at that serious look. He never saw that with Igor before.

"Right. No more dilly-dallying. I'll get straight to the point." He said, Yu readied himself for the news.

"Master Yu, Master Minato here, is a new counterbalance. He will balance the Universe." Igor stated with a slight pause. Yu opened his mouth, but was cut off as Igor continued.

"It means that he is needed to return balance to the Universe. And, to return the balance, means that we will to reverse time to the moment the World lost its balance." Igor said. Yu jumped from his seat and stared at Igor as if he had gone crazy.

"Are you mad?! You want to return Izan-" Before he could continue, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked at his left, and found that it was Minato. He slightly shook his head, beckoning him to sit down and listen to what Igor had to say. Yu would have punched him, but he was frozen by the aura he was radiating. It was dark, it had power, and it was dangerous. He slowly sat back down, prompting Minato to let Igor continue. Igor sighed as he put his hands on the desk.

"I believe you are jumping to conclusions Master Yu. We do not mean to return Izanami. We _will_ return her. Now before you go about to jumping to conclusions again. I must remind you of our counter balance." Igor stated as he placed a placating hand in front of him at the slightly bristling Yu. Yu turned to his left and looked at the still standing Minato, who had a blank face as he took in all that information.

"Now, normally, this return through time will affect everything. But, you are still our client. Which means…." Igor snapped his fingers and the contract Yu signed appeared on the table. Yu looked at it warily, as if contemplating whether it was a blessing or a curse.

"…. That you will remember everything that can and will happen. Which brings up this question." Igor stated. Yu only signaled for him to continue.

"It is whether you believe that you can change the World? Truth be told, you are our only relation to the World, young Elizabeth here cannot fiddle with Fate in your world, as she is bound to this one. Now, I must ask you again. Do you believe that you can change the World?" Igor asked with a straight face. Everyone seemed to be waiting for Yu's answer. Who only sighed.

"….No." He stated without hesitating. Everyone's eyes widened at that answer. Theodore seemed to be slightly saddened at that answer. Elizabeth was slightly shocked at it. Minato stared at him with an un-readable expression. Igor was eyeing him cautiously. And Margaret seemed hurt by that answer.

"I can't change the World. No one can, it's filled with people with different ideals, beliefs, different races, ethics. No one man can change the World. I figured this out during my fight with Izanami." He explained as he started standing up.

"But…." He trailed, grabbing everyone's attention.

"I know that if I can't change _The _World. I can change the World of the people around me. I can't make everyone like me, which would be brainwashing and lying. I can't make everyone hate me, which would be being distant and not doing anything. What I _can _do however, is make everyone believe me. Believe that their World can be changed, that it isn't decided by fate, that it is something meaningless. That it is only a journey towards death." Yu explained as he put his hands down on the desk and leaned forward, looking Igor straight in the eyes.

"To answer your question Igor. I can't change the World. But I can change everyone's _view _of the World. That it isn't a waste of a place where you go to live and die. That it has people that want them in their own Worlds." Yu stated with a confident smirk. Igor smiled at that answer, Theodore and Elizabeth was smiling at him as well. And Margaret was looking at him with the brightest of smiles. As he took in their expressions, he heard laughing behind him. He turned around to be faced with a laughing Minato.

"Narukami-san. He didn't mean it literally. But I commend you on that explanation, well done." Minato said with a small smile. Yu smiled back slightly. Igor then cleared his throat again.

"Well, now that that is out of the way. Let's get down to business." Igor said with a smile.

**XxX**

**ADKWADOWADAWEJCFAKDWJAE. I honestly didn't mean for that small fight scene in the middle, it just sorta happened. But meh.**

**To explain a few things. No. The World Arcana is different from the Universe. It is explicitly stated in the game and Wiki. Don't believe me? Look it up.**

**As for Yu and Minato's hostility? Well, it's only on Yu's part. Minato tried to charm him with his Universe Arcana, but Yu is only the World. Which means, that he can't possibly comprehend what Minato is doing. Think of it like this, an ant looks up to a human cooking. It can't comprehend that he/she is cooking, but it knows that there is food. No matter how one tries, it cannot comprehend something out of its grasp of comprehension. Like Religion and God. Some of us believe in him, some don't. But we cannot possibly comprehend how God works.**

**And another thing. This fic got over 300 views. But do you know how many reviewed? 1. Yeah, that's right. One person reviewed out of 300. You wanna know how that makes me feel? :-(**

**And I PROMISE! Some more questions will be answered in the next chapter. This fic will take off soon, just bear with the slow start.**

**So, tell me. Did you like it? Hate it? Condemn it to hell? Bless it for heaven? Leave a review, and tell me what you think. C.O.Y.L out. Peace!**


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